For many years, carbon canisters containing activated carbon have been used on automotive vehicles to reduce or prevent fuel vapors from the fuel tank escaping to atmosphere. In a typical application, the vapor storage canister has an opening to atmosphere coupled to both the vehicle fuel tank as well as the engine through the carbon absorptive material. A valve located at the atmospheric side of the carbon canister can be used to regulate the flow of air into the carbon canister. The activated carbon in the canister absorbs fuel vapors from the fuel tank during a storage mode, such as when the fuel tank is being filled. The stored fuel vapors are periodically purged from the carbon during a purge mode by passing air from atmosphere over the carbon to desorb the fuel, with the fuel vapor inducted by the engine and combusted during engine operation.
Some canisters include a number of parts which are assembled. It is desirable to reduce the number of parts to be assembled to reduce cost and parts complexity and to increase robustness of the carbon canister.